ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: clip · track · vault · wound · rule · racket · pop · spring

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. clip — a video
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. vault — a safe
  5. clip — to cut
  6. pop — soda
  7. spring — of water
  8. rule — a law
  9. pop — music
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. wound — an injury
  13. clip — for paper
  14. track — to keep track
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. rule — government
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. track — a song
  20. wound — an injury
  21. spring — a coil
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. pop — to visit
  24. spring — the season

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com